Self-retaining bone retractor



Nov. 30,, 1954 H. E. HIPPS. EI'AL 2,695,607

SELF-RETAINING BONE RETRACTOR Filed April 24. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORE l/veaezr E. /-//pp s- ATTORNEY 1954 H. E. HIPPS arm.

SELF-RETAINING BONE RETRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24. 1951 INVENTORS HEEEEET 5. MFA:

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2, 95, 04 SELF RETAlNINGBONE RE'I-RAGTOR H r Him aWa o, x-t nd Eugene; L. Kupiaok, Park. Ridge, 111;;

Ap lication. A riizaylosn sena1.N0.222;71.6 17 Claims; onus-20y This: inventionirelates; to. a. surgical retraction. Mo e specificallyit relates. to a retractor that will serve to hold, back flesh and muscles. from abone-upon which surgica treatment is to be performed;

ject. of; the. present: invention. o providean. improved retractor. that is easily applied and'eflectively ex poses. a. bone; upon. which surgery is, to be performed Another object is; the. provision. of. a surgical rctractor: thatisfq fmed of a plurality of members; tha c n. e e sily applied, connectedto one.- another in a manner at a sures; a high degree of access of; a body Part to.- bos m ically' treated,

A. further object is to. provide a urgical r tra or fQImed i Parate members for easy application o: and removal from-a body p ,v hememhersl being connected in place on the body, part inasujtablfi:jointinsnring efieeiveretraction.

@ther objects and. many of the; attendant advantages; of

this. invention will. be; readily appreciated! as h same. becomes; better understood reference tothe, following, detailed description when considered in connection wi h theaccompanyingdrawingswherein:

P a. 1 is. a persp ctive viewof ne form of the. surgical retractor of the present invention;

Fig. 2- Shows. the retractorof; Fig. 1 applied. to a body part: to be treated; v P Fig. 3 is; a, sectional view-taken on the line. 31..-3; of

Fig- 4'is a view: of a secondtiorm of; airetractort Fig; 5,. shows the. retraetor of Fig. 4 applied to a body part to betrea e Fig. 6 shows a. third form. of a; surgical retractor being applied to. abone;

i Fig. 7: is: a view showing the ends of the component members of the surgical retractor of- Fig; 6..

Fig. 8. shows a fourth form Fig.1 9=shows a fifth form at r rac ort In Fig. 1 the surgical: retractor' is formed of two: meme bers; 10,. and 11, The member 110211218 anofiset end 12 joined; in a curved portion; 13 with the rema nder of r he member; 10- The m mb r 11 has anffiset; end ldw providedwith inwardly directed flanges; 15.; The end- :4.

is joiincd-with the rest of the member 11 in a curved pore tion 6..

In Fig, 2 a body part and; a bone 18 is barecl.

12 and 14 being inserted between thQr QllQ 1-8 .-and the as; sooiated body. mass. 19 in the member 17- such as; fleshand muscles The end. 12. is inserted Within the fiangeslS ofhe end.14, ndthe retr ctor m mb r tlll nd. 11 ar hus securely as mble p n. one nother- The r tr e or m r nno Piv wi h r spec o on nother abou In Fig. 4 the surgicalsretraotor comprises cooperating.

members zll and 21.- The member 2.0:has an oifset end 22 formed as a tongueiof somewhat reducedwidth joined to the rest of the member by a curved portion 23. Member 20 has two slots 24 on one edge and a slot 25 of surgi al. retractor; and.

1.7: such as an arm-is cu pen Now the members; 10, and 11.. are applied below the opposite sides of the bone 1'83. ends- After completion of the surgery between the slots 24 in the oppositeedge. The Infill}; hen lhos an other e oioin ds oe es tr hememer- .1. na c rve por ion 2. d pro i ed; wi a l t 4 One dg t eb r 11 ha space l s 29., nd he. the e e. st ihhetw en he. slo s. 1. The retractor members 210; and. 21 of Fig. 4 are applied e. bod mem e n mu h he ome mann r t iraot r o ig, h shown o e ppl e nE a- 2-. he iis e dsand- 26 ar in e d rom; o pos s sides of the bone; 18.. betweenit andthe associate bodjg mass 19 with the reduced tongue 22 entering; the slot SIhen a h the b n flexi le; co n or: ini he r i. a ohai s wrapped ro hd he bo member 1 nd: ted. in e ntoo a eodses ots 9,. 3 endles ii the member members 20; and 2t own. r retrac ingcon o wi he d ma s nd. the onel is u a y ez r sed or. urgic l tmen Aiter e. r a men the. ra or members are easily disassembled and withdrawn from the body member by being pulled in opposite directions after; removal of the. chain 31 In g- 6. e sieai trao r s formed i members 2am 3 3 s a o hav n a o fiset mi. d. y a curved P rti 35 t er mein e of he mem er 2. nd aloop-36- t he er end. hic -ma se s a an e-or fin r ho d M mb 3' i a hollow od. w th, an ffset end- 4 jo ed. to. the es of h od .33- y- 1irve .por i v a d- ,1 09 32m. he. o her n if h oh nge ld: Th a s .1-

in the hollow end 37 is facilitated when the retra mem 2 d; .31 app i o. a ody p Th adap d o so b n he n i s indi a e F 6 a d t h lda k. the ss at d ody not hown.

In Fig. 8 therctracton comprises members 4Q-and he em er .0 has an fis d 2 j ned he dy of the member 4,0; bya curved portion 43. A reducedtig r. ongue .4; on he e d. 42 i f e as a i t; bhmt oo Th y ihe member 4 s n ul in PQ iQ l: and increases in size in a direction away from the ehd; 2;. he e d; of e o y at a h memb r s; form with ngula y related-faces he member 4L has, abodv isimfl r h e o he embe w th. d fa es .5. Th mem r has an f se nd,- ormed as a V'- sh pe h ne 47 t inw r y i ed a es 4 .a d prov de wi h plurality o i enta i s 8a n he base. e aot r memb rs. 0 an 4. re pplie s ndieated r the, forms of tools as. indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, the re. duced tip 44 entering the channel 47. The hooked end 42, snaps into each indentation successively as the members 40; and 41- are brought together. By hearing or feelingthe hook snap into the indentations, the surgeon nows e r at v p t on o the m mb r I t e hemhers 40. and 4 1; are smaller for retracting smaller bones one indentation may be. sufiicient instead of the three; own. h m b r 4 n up b n s as embled are. firmly held against relative movement thus effectively hold the body mass away from the bone that is to be urgical y reated. Th vpe h on l 1 o he en of the retraetor member 1. Permits easy cleaning after use and simplifies manufacture of the member.

In Fi h r traet is fo me o e b 49 an 5 h whi h; r milar respec ive y t e r .2, and: 33 of Fig, 6. except that the member 49 has a flat rectangular ect on and he m r Sii' a r c ang r tub aporo: P y shaped to ece ve th n s o e m m er 9-. The adjacent ends of the members, 49 and 50 are curved and offset and the other ends are looped as in the, modio t on oi. gs, 7 an 8 f h som asons. When the mem er 49 and 50: e ppl o the bo y par to betreated, the end of the member 49 is inserted in the end of themember 5i) beneath the bone upon which surgery is o e Po t e u a fi m c n tiono parts can be easily septhe members is assured, and the arated after surgery is over.

The advantages of each of the modifications. described rtho egoi a e m ny- Th r aet r mem ers. are elf-re a -th h b inel rmly' jo ne to n ano her when. ppli d o e odypart o h trea d- The con.- nection is such as to provide an efiective retraction of 2.0., and; 2.1. h s. th ch in ho e the muscles, and more than half of the circumference of the bone is exposed. The retractor members are easily separated after the surgery is completed. The members may be formed of metal, and this permits sterilizing by boiling or autoclaving.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim:

1. A retractor comprising a pair of members having separate complementary ends interfitting at said ends upon insertion from opposite sides under a bone and between a bone and associated body masses to be retracted from the bone, the members having notches, and a chain engaging the notches and adapted to extend tightly about the body mass so as to make the members press the body substance back from opposite sides of the bone.

2. The retractor specified in claim 1, each member having a plurality of notches alternately positioned at opposite edges of the members, each notch being adapted to receive the chain, whereby the retractor is adapted for use with body masses of different sizes.

3. A retractor comprising a pair of members having separate opposed and complementary ends interfitting at said ends upon insertion from opposite sides beneath a bone, and the ends having an interengaging connection preventing pivoting of the members toward one another about their interfitting ends and thereby adapting the gnembers-to press associated body mass away from the one.

4. A retractor comprising members having mating ends adapted to fit together between a bone and a body mass by insertion from opposite sides of the bone, the members being interengaged to extend in opposite directions from the mating ends so as to lie against the body mass and retract it from the bone, the mating ends fitting tightly together in such a way as to prevent any relative movement of the members which involves movement of the members away from the mass.

5. A retractor comprising a pair of members having offset ends, the offset end of one member having a reduced tip, the offset end of the other member having a flanged channel, whereby the members may be applied from opposite sides of a bone to retract associated body mass from the bone and to insert the reduced tip in the flanged channel, between the bone and the body mass in an engagement that prevents movement of the members away from the retracted body mass.

6. A retractor comprising a pair of members having mating ends, one mating end being formed as a tongue, the other being formed as a flanged channel, whereby the members may be applied together at said ends from opposite sides of a bone to retract associated body mass from the bone and to insert the tongue in the flanged channel fitting one another so as to hold the members with respect to one another and thereby to maintain them in retracting contact with the body mass.

7. A retractor comprising a pair of members having complementary ends fitting together at said ends upon insertion from opposite sides of a bone between the bone and associated body mass to be retracted, the one complementary end being hollow so as to receive the other in an engagement such as to hold the members with respect to one another and thereby to hold them in retracting contact with the body mass.

8. A retractor comprising a pair of members having offset ends, one being hollow so as to receive the other offset end between bone and associated. body mass upon application of the members from opposite sides of the bone, the engagement of the offset ends with one another holding the members against relative movement and maintaining them in retracting engagement with the body mass.

9. A retractor comprising a pair of members having complementary ends engaging one another at said ends between a bone and associated body mass upon application of the members from opposite sides of the bone, one complementary end having flangesso as to receive the other complementary end in a rigid engagement such as to prevent relative pivoting of the members and thereby to maintain them in retracting engagement with the body mass.

10. A retractor comprising a pair of members having complementary ends, one having a slot and the other a tongue, the tongue and slot being adapted to engage one another at said ends between a bone and associated body mass upon application of the members from opposite sides of the bone, and means connecting the members at regions spaced from the complementary ends and pressing around the body mass so as to maintain the members in retracting contact with body mass.

11. A retractor comprising a pair of members having offset ends, the offset end of one member having a reduced hooked tip, the offset end of the other member having a flanged channel carrying an indentation, whereby the members may be applied from opposite sides of a bone to retract associated body mass from the bone and to insert the reduced hooked tip in the flanged channel between the bone and the body mass, the hooked tip snapping into the indentation in the channel.

12. A retractor comprising a pair of members having offset ends, the offset end of one member having a reduced hooked tip, the offset end of the other member having a channel carrying a plurality of indentations, whereby the members may be applied from opposite sides of a bone to retract associated body mass from the bone and to insert the reduced hooked tip in the flanged channel, the hooked tip snapping successively into the indentations in the channel to indicate the assembly of the members on one another, the hooked tip finally fitting in the indentation farthest from the very end of the channel so as to hold the members to one another.

13. A bone retractor comprising a pair of members having separate complementary interfitting ends, said complementary ends being offset from the rest of the members and adapted to be slid between an exposed bone and the soft tissue beneath from opposite sides of the bone with the rest of the respective members extending up and over the upper surface of the body portion adjacent an exposed bone.

14. A bone retractor comprising a pair of oblong body members having respective handle portions at one end adapted to be grasped by the fingers of an operator and respective offset portions at the other end joining thev main associated body portion by a smooth curved portion, said offset ends having separate complementary interfitting ends whereby said members may be readily slid under an exposed bone from opposite sides thereof.

15. A bone retractor comprising a pair of members having separate complementary interfitting ends which are offset from the rest of the members, the offset ends being curved and sized to extend around and under an exposed bone between the body masses immediately surrounding the bone and the outer bone surface.

16. A bone retractor comprising a pair of oblong body members having respective handle portions at one end adapted to be grasped by the fingers of an operator and respective offset portions at the other end joining the main associated body portion by a smooth curved portion, said offset ends having separable complementary interfitting ends, said offset ends being curved and sized to extend around and under an exposed bone between the body masses immediately surrounding the bone and theouter bone surface.

17. The combination of claim 14 characterized further by said interfitting ends including means to prevent any substantial movement of the members toward each other about their interfitting ends to ensure the pressing of adjacent body masses away from the bone.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Oct. 9, 1905 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery for July 1950, p. 700. (Copy in the Scientific Library.)

Number 

